Clear strategic assessment.

A Norwegian NATO Secretary General, in common with his colleagues from the North of Europe, speaks in precise terms of the threat.

Western Europeans must accept that the geo-political centre of gravity in Europe is shifting to the East and North.

“How should the West respond? There is only one rule: We cannot be afraid. Russia wants us to be afraid—so afraid that we are crippled by fear.” Precisely. @AnneApplebaum is always terrific, but never better than this: theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…

Bashar-al Assad visited the United Arab Emirates on 18 March. After 11 years of conflict Assad’s unreformed and unrepentant regime continues to commit atrocities against the Syrian people 1/5

It is extraordinary to recall that NATO invoked the ‘responsibility to protect’ doctrine to support intervention in Libya, but cannot quite bring itself to do so in the case of Ukraine. Those in the Middle East who often complain of ‘double standards’ may ironically have a point.

Very good piece on the JEF involving Uk and 9 other countries: NATO-lite – Boris Johnson on a European coalition’s role against Russia economist.com/britain/boris-…

There is a long tradition of tensions between Russia's military and Russia's intelligence services. I wonder how Russia's generals feel about being commanded by Russia's Chekists to invade Ukraine?

As Eliot Cohen says, this is a strategic error on the part of the West: 'The Russians can (and do) threaten to ratchet things up, knowing that the West will respond with increased anxiety rather than reciprocal menace.'theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…

Russia’s initially slow progress in Ukraine is prompting NATO to reassess its adversary’s capabilities

Please can we STOP referencing WW3 to justify dismissal of tactical options.

It exudes weakness, a lack of self-confidence and the absence of the Cold War statecraft skills that illustrate our grasp of the escalatory ladder.

It also emboldens Putin to commit more war crimes.

Lawrence Freedman I hope the invasion of Ukraine will stop us talking so much about super forecasting and instead pay attention to getting warning systems right. You may be interested in this: engelsbergideas.com/notebook/knowi…

My hometown Volnovakha has ceased to exist as a human settlement.
Russia has completely destroyed a rapidly developing, 100% Russian-speaking city of Donbas.
1881-2022.
Rest In Peace, my sweet old hometown.

Joe Biden has gone out of his way to stress NATO won't 'fight a war against Russia in Ukraine' because a direct confrontation 'is World War III'.
But this threat from Russia (depending where/if it's carried out) is a sign Putin might be willing to bring the war to NATO anyway⬇️

'China wants to have its cake and eat it. Privately they remain aligned with Russia, but publicly they don’t want to be tainted because of guilt by association.” Why Beijing is squirming over Ukraine: ft.com/content/50aa90…

The Financial Times is making key Ukraine coverage free to read to keep everyone informed as events unfold.

#NATO must revise the threshold for resisting #Russia militarily, if it is to find a way out of the ‘escalation trap’, argues John Raine.

Read the new analysis:
iiss.org/blogs/analysis…

This is an astonishing thread….

This young person just wants to be in her rental flat in Kyiv, working in her chosen profession, and seeing her friends. Putin has dictated that she can’t do that because Ukraine needs to be ‘de-nazified.’ The European security order will be restored when she can safely go home.

STOP THE BLEED зупинити кровотечу! Training Video.
youtube.com/watch?v=LMC_X4…
#UkraineWar #UkraineRussianWar The HALO Trust NATO David Nott Foundation MSF International World Health Organization (WHO)

Many wars end with a military solution. The West should ensure that the right side wins. It should not just hope that the wrong side gets bogged down. And it should not permit a diplomatic solution that gives any gains to the wrong side. The right side needs more military aid.